The search committee set up by the government to select a chairman and managing director for Air-India has excluded Sunil Arora, the current managing director, and shortlisted two 1972-batch IAS officers for the post.

The committee has recommended V Tulasi Das of the Tripura cadre and D C Samant of the Rajasthan cadre for the post, to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. A final decision would be taken shortly, officials said.

The sources said the committee had considered a dozen candidates, Arora being one of them. The committee comprises the chairman of the Public Sector Enterprises Board, the secretary to the department of personnel and training, the civil aviation secretary and the Cabinet secretary.

The committee had earlier relaxed the eligibility norms by allowing officers of the joint secretary level. Generally, only officials of the rank of additional secretary are eligible for the post of chairman and managing director in a public sector enterprise.

Arora, who is the chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines, was given additional charge of Air-India in July. A 1980-Batch IAS officer from the Rajasthan cadre, Arora is a joint secretary in the government.